Genesis 7:11-24

11 In the ¹six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth * day of the month, on the same day all ²the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened.

12 ³The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.

13 On the very same day ⁴Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark,

14 they and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, all sorts of birds.

15 So they went into the ark to Noah, ⁵by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life.

16 Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD closed it behind him.

17 Then the flood came upon the earth for ⁶forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above * the earth.

18 The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water.

19 The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered.

20 The water prevailed fifteen * cubits higher, ⁷and the mountains were covered.

21 ⁸All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind;

22 of all that was on the dry land, all ⁹in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died.

23 Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only ¹⁰Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark.

24 ¹¹The water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days.

Genesis 7:11-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 7

This chapter begins with an order to Noah to come with his family and all the creatures into the ark, that they might be safe from the flood, which would quickly be upon the earth, Ge 7:1-4 and then gives an account of Noah's obedience to the divine command in every particular, Ge 7:5-9 and of the time of the beginning of the flood, and its prevalence, Ge 7:10-12 then follows a repetition of Noah, his family, and the creatures entering into the ark, Ge 7:13-16 and next a relation is given of the increase of the waters, and of the height they arrived unto, Ge 7:17-20 and of the consequences of the flood, the death and destruction of every living creature, except those in the ark, fowl, cattle, beast, creeping things, and men, Ge 7:21-23 and the chapter is closed with an account how long the waters continued before they began to ebb, even one hundred and fifty days, Ge 7:24.

Cross References

• 1. Genesis 7:6
• 2. Genesis 8:2
• 3. Genesis 7:4, 17
• 4. Genesis 6:18; Genesis 7:7
• 5. Genesis 6:19; Genesis 7:9
• 6. Genesis 7:4
• 7. Genesis 8:4
• 8. Gen 6:7, 13, 17; Genesis 7:4
• 9. Genesis 2:7
• 10. Matthew 24:38, 39; Luke 17:26, 27; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5
• 11. Genesis 8:3

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "windows of the heavens"
• [b]. Lit "was"
• [c]. Lit "its"
• [d]. Lit "every bird, every wing"
• [e]. Lit "was"
• [f]. Lit "went"
• [g]. Lit "face"
• [h]. Lit "which were under all the heavens"
• [i]. I.e. One cubit equals approx 18 in.
• [j]. Or "crept"
• [k]. Lit "all existence"
• [l]. Lit "heavens"